It won't be official until about 1:30 p.m. on Monday, but early reports indicate Klay Thompson will announce his intention to enter the 2011 NBA Draft. A press release was sent to media members early on Monday morning indicating Thompson would be holding a teleconference at 1:15 p.m. to discuss his future, specifically in regards to the NBA Draft. Just a short time later, word leaked Thompson would enter the 2011 NBA Draft, and would make it official on Monday afternoon.
The report comes from ESPN's Diamond Leung. Thompson's father, Mychal Thompson, said the decision was difficult and the younger Thompson may still return to school. Entering the NBA Draft is an exploratory move, he says, and one Thompson needs to make to get an idea of where he stands.
"It was a very difficult decision. He's very sentimental about college, and it's not 100 percent he's leaving."
With the connections Mychal Thompson has from his playing days, it's likely Klay Thompson knows where he stands. He's said all along he'd forgo his senior year and stay in the draft if he's a guaranteed first round draft pick, and many places have listed him as such. With that in mind, it appears Thompson's time at Washington State may have come to an end, and the NBA awaits him.
We'll be on the teleconference and will be back with more on Thompson as it becomes available. Stay with this StoryStream and head over to CougCenter, SB Nation's Washington State blog, for the latest.